


auriferous

by kinaesthetique



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, I call this ship 'golden girls', One Shot, Post Talon/Vishkar, or 'gold-eyed girlfriends', the gals are free and dating, zoo date
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-04
Updated: 2019-07-04
Packaged: 2020-06-09 16:17:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19479526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kinaesthetique/pseuds/kinaesthetique
Summary: (adj. containing gold)Satya suggests a zoo date and Amélie is more than happy to accompany her.





	auriferous

**Author's Note:**

> *sits in my fluffy, fluffy feelings*
> 
> I've always wanted to write this pair, for both me and the 6 other people that ship it. I hope you enjoy!

In times like these, Amélie is especially glad that Satya added UV protection to the camouflaging shields that cover her body and showcase a more natural skin tone. With high-waisted shorts, a tank top, and a short-sleeved, button-up tucked into her shorts, there’s not much to keep her from burning in the summer sun. She adjusts her sun hat and sunglasses as she leaves the lion exhibit, arm in arm with the architect.

She sneaks a look at her girlfriend, dressed in a loose orange, white, and yellow floral sundress. Her low-heel sandals strap halfway up to her calves and she walks with such purpose that crowds part before her out of sheer respect. It’s one of the many things she appreciates about her girlfriend. Amelie does not always have to be the intimidating one.

“Would you like to go to the Oceania pavilion? They have a tropical bird house.” Satya laces her fingers through hers and traces the route on the map in the middle of the crossroads between exhibits.

“I… do like birds.” Amélie nods. “And I would not mind getting out of the sun.”

“Which I knew,” Satya says with a smile, not indicating which statement she’s referring to, if not both. She pulls two folded papers out from her purse and hands one to Amélie. They begin to walk toward the Oceania exhibit as Amelie reads the paper.

_Ravenous Raptors: A Behind the Scenes Visitor Experience_

“You pre-purchased these online?” 

“It’s a very competitive experience. I didn’t want to disappoint you if the tickets were unavailable when we arrived.”

When Satya turns to her with such a look of joy, Amélie has to smile back.

“Did I surprise you?”

“Yes, very much, _ma chérie_.” Amelie slides her arm around Satya’s waist and pulls her close as they turn down a path shaded with oak trees. 

The summer birdsong makes for a lovely soundtrack as they make a beeline for the huge domed building. They stop by the ticket booth outside and the person stamps their printed tickets and hands them a fancier cardstock ticket, not unlike one for a sporting event.

“It doesn’t start until two. That’s a little over a half hour from now.” Satya tucks the tickets back into her purse. “Let’s look at the smaller birds, then?”

Rather than respond, Amélie just takes her hand and leads her to the double doors. It amazes her how much bigger the dark hallways seem, with only the aviaries’ light to see by. It’s quiet too, despite it being just after lunchtime. The pavilion is quite far from the food court though, and any dispersing crowds would hit the Asian or African pavilions first, which they had walked during lunch time.

Satya always likes to keep one step ahead.

They pause in front of each glass aviary, reading placards, pointing out the birds they see, and making a game of trying to get scientific names right. It’s cute to watch Satya wrinkle her nose when Amélie purposefully butchers the Latin. She has to stop herself from doing it _too_ often.

_La plus mignonne._

They enter the open air aviary, passing first through a set of heavy glass doors, then a plastic curtain. Bird calls echo in the hot humid air. Tropical trees, vines, and foliage fill the grounds and tower above the brick pathway and the sun shines through the domed glass. 

“Amé?”

Eyes still wide with wonder, she looks down at Satya. “Apologies-”

“No need.” Satya squeezes her hand. “Let’s look then.”

It may be luck or how quiet they’re being, but almost every moment reveals a different bird- in the trees, flying above, trotting across the walkway, or even sitting on the signs.

“I think that bird knows who he is,” Satya points to a bird that, sure enough, is sitting on its own sign. Amélie takes a picture of that.

Near the end of the walk, Amélie stops by a summary placard about Birds-of-Paradise. Satya follows, curious.

“Such beautiful lengths they go to, just to attract a mate.” Satya rolls her eyes at the chart of the birds featured in the aviary, all with very bright and lovely plumage.

Amélie raises a sly eyebrow and murmurs, “Perhaps the lilac is my breeding plumage and that’s why I only show it to you.” 

Satya snorts and turns away. “That’s ridiculous.”

“Would you rather me do that?” Amélie points to a nearby video of a bird of paradise doing an over-the-top mating display. It becomes clear that Satya hadn’t noticed the video because she dissolves into giggles at the sight of the dancing bird. It hops back and forth, shaking its plumage and circling the duller female as it flaps it shiny chest feathers and squawks. “I would if you found it attractive, I promise.”

“Please,” Satya wheezes, trying to get her breath back. “Oh _heavens,_ never do that!”

By the time they leave the aviary, they’re both still giggling.

With five minutes until two, they head toward the more industrial part of the building until they find a sign for the _Ravenous Raptors_ experience _._ Amélie clears her throat, getting the attention of the young woman in the zookeeper khakis.

“Oh hi!” She fumbles her clipboard and extends a hand. “Welcome to the _Ravenous Raptors_ tour! I’m Glenda, your guide. If you could just sign in…”

They present their tickets and take the clipboard to sign their names on the sheet. Glenda checks the tickets and names against her own list.

“Okay, well let’s head on in and get your waivers filled out!” She opens the door for them and they walk in ahead of her. “You’re the only people signed up for the tour today.”

Satya raises an eyebrow and turns to her. “That sounds unusual?”

Glenda seems to be relieved to be off script. “Yeah, actually. We usually have a waiting list, but the big group that filled the other 8 spots canceled twenty minutes ago, which is too late to notify our wait listers...”

Amélie barely restrains her snickers. 

_I will have to send Olivia a fruit basket._

“I mean, it's good! For you and the birds, you know? We try to keep attendance caps low but they always do better with fewer people.” Glenda gestures at the tablets where waivers await their perusal and signatures. “An hour with the raptors awaits!”

They go through the extensive safety briefing and adorn the thick elbow length gloves necessary for interacting with the birds. Once in the raptor care area, they meet with the team that rears and cares for both exhibit raptors and educational ambassadors.

Amélie and Satya get to feed Stellar’s Sea eagle chicks raw meat, hold a baby turkey vulture that is so ugly that Satya has to leave the room to laugh at Amélie’s expression (but not before taking a picture), and watch a scissor-tailed kite break the first piece out of its egg. The thick gloves allow them both to hold a friendly educational Red Goshawk, hand-feed a nest of hungry barn owls that resemble goblins, and pet a well-tamed Peregrine Falcon.

However, the part that is certainly the most memorable is the Osprey encounter.

Amélie has long since removed her sunglasses and adjusted her hat so it hangs down her back. This is probably why Glenda and the other techs notice her irises, usually well concealed in shadow. As the handler allows the juvenile osprey to walk onto her arm, he says, “Ospreys are the only bird in their family, but they're found all over the world. And... huh, you’ve got about the same eye color actually.”

Her eye color is not natural, but instead the result of a grave trespass upon her autonomy, and contacts are too uncomfortable to bother with. Amélie stiffens at the comparison, unsure of the handler’s intentions. Her stomach drops and her heart thumps with anxiety, wondering what they could know, _who_ they could know- 

The bird swivels to look at her, alarmed by her change in demeanor and for a moment, the room is thick with tension.

“Look, Amé. They’re gold,” Satya whispers, squeezing Amélie’s free arm gently and grounding her. “Beautiful, just like yours.”

 _Civilians. Not agents. I am safe here. It’s a_ zoo, _Lacroix._

“And yours too, Ms. Satya,” Glenda whispers back, trying to keep from spooking the bird. “Ms. Amélie, are you alright?”

Nodding, she takes a deep breath and relaxes. The bird fluffs his feathers, peeping quietly at her as he shuffles on her forearm and begins to preen himself. 

“ _Bonjour, mon chéri_ ,” She smiles at the bird. “Just look at you.”

Amélie can hear the tap of Satya taking pictures with her phone.

“His name is Seamour,” says the handler as he allows the bird to step back onto his arm before offering Satya the chance to hold him. As with everything she does, Satya looks majestic with the bird on her arm, speaking to him as though she can understand her.

 _And yes,_ Amélie agrees as she snaps a handful of pictures, _our eyes really are just like his._

At the end of the hour, they walk back through the facility, turn in their gloves, and head toward the gift shop. Satya pulls away to peruse the merchandise. Amélie puts her hat and sunglasses back on her head and steps outside with a quiet word to her girlfriend.

The air outside is still hot. Judging by the sky, it’ll rain later that afternoon. It will bring a welcome drop in temperature. She sighs, sitting down on a bench outside the shop. Amélie stares at her hands in her lap, replaying their afternoon in her head.

“ _Meri pyari_?”

Satya looks concerned so Amélie smiles and gets to her feet. “I’m fine. It’s just been a lot of standing.”

“We can find some shade to sit in, but first,” Satya thrusts out the paper bag with the raptor store logo on it. “Pick one.”

Amélie tries to peer in but Satya closes the bag before she can get a glimpse. “You cannot _look_!”

“Ah, I see.” Amélie makes a show of covering her eyes with one hand and reaching in the bag. One of the items feels like a hard cloth-covered object. The other is fuzzy and soft. Amélie pulls out the first object and takes a look.

It’s a bright yellow baseball cap with a stylized osprey head on the front. The back reads ‘Ravenous Raptors’. Frankly, it’s terribly gaudy, which means it’s perfect.

“You know me so well,” Amélie grins and places it on her head, taking the sun hat off first. She drops the sun hat onto Satya’s bare head. She squeaks and glares up at Amélie, unable to keep the amusement out of her eyes. “It suits your outfit better anyway.”

She takes Satya’s free hand in hers and they set off back toward the center of the zoo. It’s not until Amélie’s finished adjusting the cap to fit, that she realizes she’s not sure what the other item was.

“What was the other option?”

“I thought you would never ask.” Satya pauses and pulls the paper bag out of her purse. She unrolls it and reveals a plush osprey, complete with bright gold eyes. Without little warning, she uses it to reach up and give Amélie a literal peck on the cheek.

Amélie leans down and gives Satya a quick kiss on the lips. “You really are the cutest girl I’ve ever met.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you've never seen the famous birds-of-paradise Planet Earth segment, [ today's your lucky day!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWfyw51DQfU)
> 
> As always, I'm on Twitter, [@kinaesthetique](https://twitter.com/kinaesthetique), being a dork.


End file.
